I’ll do what I can tonight, but for now I’m going to do my best for some form of a liveblog

(for now, at least).

—

Feel free to comment with any and all of your thoughts as the game unfolds.

—

PREGAME

—

Wow. It’s raining in Atlanta and nobody is in the Turner Field stands. Looks emptier than a Pirate weekday home game at PNC (and that’s saying something)

—

Also, the announcers are now telling me that Mike Hampton won’t actually start. Apparently the Braves scratched him late and will start reliever Jeff Bennett. No word on the reason for that, but now we haven’t figured out if the Bucs will change their lineup after the switch from a lefty to a righty.

—

Hampton’s not pitching because of a “very sharp pain” he encountered while warming up. After a short delay, it looks like we’re ready to go. Braves are on the field.

—

TOP 1

The Pirates order is the same. Here’s Nate McLouth to start us off (at 7:17). Ball one. Bennett has appeared in both the past two game. Nate flies out to left after a long at-bat (which included a monster foul ball). Holy cow, Turner Field is unbelievably deserted.

Jack in the two-hole for the first time this season. Nearly a base hit, but a nice running catch by Francoeur.

Wow. Freddy looked terrible on that whiff on a pitch well in the dirt. 1-2-3 for Bennett after 17 pitches.

0-0

———

BOTTOM 1

Duke is ready to go, against Martin Prado, who led off last night with a triple. Strike one. Issues with Escobar standing too far away from the on-deck circle? Paulino puts him in his place. Now he’s batting following a Prado groundout.

If you’re wondering, Escobar still owns us. He jacked a 3-run homer last night. But, Duke gets him to bounce softly.

Base knock for Chipper Jones. Not a bad pitch though; Chipper really reached out and just poked that one into right.

Duke consistently around 91 MPH on the fastball.

He gets Texiera to pop out. Nice first inning for the league’s worst 1st inning pitcher last season.

0-0

——

TOP 2

Jason Bay lifts a soft liner over Escobar for the Pirates’ first hit of the game.

Nice pitch to barely ring up LaRoche on the inside corner.

When I was overjoying over LaRoche’s good game on Monday, I forgot it wasn’t April yet. It was March 31. Now that it’s April Adam is 0-5.

Nady now. And he’s drilled by an 0-2 pitch. Ouch, right on the elbow.

Bautista up. I heard a “Jose, Jose Jose Jose…” cheer (as in the one Mets fans do for Reyes). What’s up with that?

Bautista walks. The Bucs have the bases loaded, and look who’s coming to the plate. It’s…………Ronny Paulino. Man, he doesn’t LOOK like he’s slimmed down as the Pirates indicated in the early spring.

Strikeout looking. Looked a bit low but still a bad AB. Now it’s Duke with the bases loaded. He is our best hitting pitcher, but….Ronny has to be more aggressive. Duke grounds out, and the Bucs get nothing.

0-0

41 pitches for Bennett after 2.

—-

BOTTOM 2

Duke gets a quick groundout from Franceour.

Bloop-out to LaRoche. Yes, a bloop-out. Not a lineout, not a flyout, not a popout, a bloop-out.

Bob Walk starts talking about how good Zach Duke looks, and Mark Kotsay responds with a base-hit.

There’s a legit liner, luckily right at LaRoche to end the inning

0-0

—

TOP 3

At least we have the top of the order now following leaving the bases loaded.

Nice rip for McLouth (Lanny: “The N-Dog”) 2 bases.

Jack grounds out to first, moving McLouth over. 1 away.

Freddy brings home a run by grounding out weakly to short. 1-0 Buccos!

Bay walks. Bennett isn’t really in trouble at all but he looks rattled anyway.

LaRoche flies out. Bennett’s thrown 57 pitches.

1-0

—

BOTTOM 3

1 away very quickly as Duke retires Bennett on a groundout.

Prado grounds out to Freddy, who makes a nifty play. Now that Charlie’s jinxed him at [Bucs Dugout], I’ll say it. Duke looks very good tonight.

There’s a garbage infield single for Escobar.

Jones again looks like he just sticks out the bat, but it goes for a hit. Could it be..because..Duke…is throwing in the 90’s at long last?

Love the reaction from Duke. Bob Walk says he thought someone was going to catch it the whole way.

Nady up now. Groundout off the end of his bat.

Kind of entertaining with the trivia competition the announcers are starting this year.

Jose Bautista clobbers one that carries right over Diaz…he’s got a double.

Paulino…. I don’t mind him playing on occasion, but it’s good to see Russell sticking him in the 8 spot. Hey, a base hit to drive home JB. RBI double down the line for Ronny. 2-0.

Bennett at 73 pitches. Duke barely thrown out after a slow grounder up the middle. Ronny to 3rd.

Nate with his patented bouncer to first to end the inning.

2-0

—

BOTTOM 4

That fly ball looked like trouble, but Nady was right under it.

What is up with the doorbell noise at Turner after the Braves hit a foul ball?

Nice base hit for Diaz.

The masterful Duke quickly induces a double play!

2-0

—

TOP 5

So, Bennett only gets through 4 as the emergency starter. Blaine Boyer (who got the loss Opening Day) in relief. Jack will lead off.

Jack’s still swinging at the first pitch. He K’s.

Fred flies out.

Bay looking awful at the plate as usual.

2-0

—

BOTTOM 5

Corky Miller! What a name. Nate McLouth! What a player. Diving grab.

Duke rings up…..his first K. Somehow he’s still been more than effective.

McLouth is not gonna catch up to that deep fly ball by Prado. Double. I think we’re lucky he didn’t take 3.

Jeff Andrews is a weird-looking dude.

Long AB by Escobar. He finally bounces to Wilson.

2-0

—

TOP 6

LaRoche with a flyout. His best contact in awhile though. (not saying much)

Nady looks bad for once…strikes out looking. 2 down.

Bautista pops out to close out Boyer’s second straight 1-2-3 inning.

—

BOTTOM 6

—

So..when will Duke have to exit and we have to suffer through the (gulp) bullpen?

Or will Duke just implode first?

Luis Rivas? In the game? For Freddy? What?

Announcers don’t know either. Fred is in the dugout.

Chipper bounces one through the infield for a hit.

Duke looks on the cusp of falling apart. He gets Tex. to pop out though.

Franceour rolls one through the infield. With all these ground-ball hits, dare I ask for a double-play?

Duke is at 100 pitches.Another base hit, bringing home Jones. It appears we’ll have to prepare for some serious suffering (aka the bullpen).Osoria getting loose.Grounder….looks like two…Jack taken down on a slide by Diaz. 1st and 3rd, 2 down for Corky.

Well this really sucks. Corky Miller ties the game with a single. Osoria stops warming up and MARTE (of all people!) starts warming up. Duke needs an out. Pena pinch hitting.

Just our luck. Duke gets the second would-be inning-ending grounder but sure-handed Jack Wilson boots it. Why is Duke still in the game?

2-3

Walk to Prado. Duke’s first walk. Bases loaded.

Osoria back in the pen now.

FINALLY here comes Russell.

What looked like a really good outing for Duke currently only has him going 5.2 and getting a loss. He deserves better.

Osoria. Full count on Escobar. This is big. HE STRUCK HIM OUT!

Osoria is the man. Russell? Not so sure.

2-3

——–

TOP 7

Will Ohman in for Atlanta. Paulino leads off. How about the hustle from Ronny! Beats out a routine grounder that was bobbled for just a sec.

Gomez pinch hitting. He bounces into an FC to barely erase the again hustling Ronny.

McLouth lifts a flyout to right.

Now it’s Wilson. Not who we want in this situation. Hey, Gomez to second on a passed ball.

WHOO! I negative-jinxed Jack. He laces one to left to tie the game. Should have been a double but something’s wrong with Jack. He limped to first and is now writhing in pain on the base. Not good. Not good. But hey, we tied the game.

This is not good. Freddy already is out of the game for reasons unknown. Gomez will surely stay in. So, he and Rivas make up our double-play combo for…who knows how long? We’ll also have someone else coming in out of the pen…yay.

Grabow is in. Chipper is up..and flies out. Rivas at short (with bright white shoes..with his name), Gomez at second.

Texiera.

Of course, Rivas promptly boots a grounder.

LaRoche catches a pop-up. 2 out.

Bautista boots one, too. It was right in his glove and popped out. Grabow’s gotten 4 outs.

Make that 5 outs. Give it up for Johnny Grabes. Great inning for him, but not for the defense.

3-3

—

TOP 8

Bay up. Acosta, who we shelled on Monday, is in. He walks Jason.

Effect of a sac bunt, as LaRoche dribbles one and Bay was running. Man on 2nd, 1 out for Nady.